Kousha Etessami: On the complexity of comparing succinctly represented numbers

I'll discuss some results and observations related to the topic of the title, and I'll describe some applications.

This is based on unpublished joint work with Alistair Stewart and Mihalis Yannakakis. It amounts to one amusing "side-show" in a much broader research project we have been involved in, related to devising provably efficient (P-time) algorithms for analysis of infinite-state stochastic models.

Hopefully, this topic is "bite-sized" enough to allow me to fulfill the current remit of lab lunch talks, which asks speakers to keep our talks "lightweight". (In the past, I have been told off for not doing so.) But please don't expect "light entertainment": you'll be disappointed.